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Colleen Miner, wife and mother of three daughters, lives in Saranac Lake, NY. She is a reporter/photographer for the Diocese of Ogdensburg and active in pro-life and youth ministry.
Thérèse, a movie based on the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, opened in theaters nation-wide on October 1st, 2004, the Feast of St. Thérèse. Directed by Leonardo Defilippis, the 90-minute film portrays Thérèse Martin from a young girl, growing up in France’s Normandy region during the 19th century, to her untimely death at the age of 24, in the Convent at Carmel.
The casting for this major motion picture is amazing. Lindsay Younce stars as the older Thérèse. Melissa Sumpter has a brief role as young Therese. Defilippis and wife Patti fill the roles of Thérèse’s parents, Louis and Zelie Martin. Thérèse’s sisters are played by Linda Hayden (Pauline), Jen Nikolaisen (Celine), Mandy Rimer (Leonie) and Maggie Rose Fleck (Marie). It is Marie who suggests that Thérèse write down her childhood memories, which later developed into her famous autobiography, The Story of a Soul.
Many significant points of Thérèse’s short life are highlighted in the film. These include the death of her mother at the age of four, her surrogate mother (Pauline) leaving her a few years later to join the convent, and Thérèse’s miraculous Christmas conversion at the age of fourteen when she fell deeply in love with God. Also portrayed is Thérèse’s trip to the Vatican, taken because she had been told she was too young to enter the convent. She boldly begged permission — during a papal audience — to become a Carmelite nun. Real-life retired Bishop Basil Meeking plays the part of Pope Leo XIII.
Perhaps the most compelling reproduction is Thérèse’s spiritual adoption of a young man on death row, Henri Pranzini (played by Brian Sheilds). In 1887, the news of the murder of two women and a child hit the French papers. The killer, an intellectual man who spoke eight languages, remained completely unrepentant, even as his execution approached. After her Christmas conversion, Thérèse prayed for Pranzini, asking God for a sign of his repentence. As Pranzini approached the guillotine, he kissed a crucifix. Thérèse saw this as her first victory in her quest to save souls. This scene includes a fully-functioning 12-foot guillotine with an 8-inch steel blade.
Once she was allowed to enter Carmel in 1888, this upper-middle-class teenage girl welcomed the challenge to live a cloistered life. She discovered her “little way” of loving God, which later became one of the saint’s most cherished qualities.
Humorous segments include the relationship between the novice Thérèse and her superior, Sister Augustine, played by Samantha Kramer, and Thérèse’s challenges while performing her menial duties. Comical scenes include clumsy Thérèse serving a meal, flighty Thérèse humming a tune and wandering aimlessly while escorting an elderly nun to dinner and fearful Thérèse cleaning spiders from the convent refectory.
The outdoor scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. The family home, convent laundry pool and cloistered areas are excellent replicas. The costumes are charming. In the scene of her mother's funeral, young Thérèse actually wears a 100-year-old dress from that time period.
The soundtrack was created specifically for the movie by a cloistered Carmelite nun, Sister Marie Therese Sokol O.C.D. Sokol is an accomplished composer and cellist. Gregory Gerlich (Speed, Alien), Robert McNabb (Jaws) and Del Spiva (Spiderman, Black Hawk Down, Pearl Harbor) lent their expertise to create this impressive soundtrack which is now available for purchase here. Director Defilippis wrote: “The lush beauty of the visuals, the emotional impact of the musical score, and the powerful story combine to create an inspiring drama of great depth.”
Do not expect a fast-paced, high-tech production. Do expect a calming, heart-warming portrayal of a young woman enveloped and overflowing with faith in God. There were very few dry eyes at the end of the showing I attended. Some remarked that the final scene was the most touching and realistic. This lavish production is well worth the travel to reach a theatre showing THÉRÈSE. A full list of showings can be found at www.theresemovie.com. Don’t miss your chance to view the true story of one of the most popular saints of modern time. It's a story of struggle, tragedy and the greatest of all romances. It’s the story of an ordinary girl with an extraordinary soul.
